Mental health and inclusion featured at free talk in Edwards

Join SpeakUp ReachOut, Mountain Pride, Bookworm of Edwards and Mountain Youth for a free panel discussion with Mads Partridge from Mountain Pride, Molly Booker, author of “Magic in the Mess” and leaders from suicide prevention, youth advocacy, LGBTQ+ and community resilience organizations on Tuesday.

Mental health is important to Booker, and why she was chosen to speak at this event.

“Mental health has been a life-or-death issue for me,” Booker said. “There was a time when I didn’t want to wake up in the morning. Surviving that crisis made me realize that I needed to radically change my life. That meant making hard decisions, stepping into my truth, and prioritizing my well-being in ways I hadn’t before. Now, mental health isn’t just something I think about — it’s something I actively nurture.”

It can be difficult to nurture mental health currently, which Booker knows intimately. “I know firsthand what it means to struggle with identity, safety, and mental well-being in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to marginalized communities,” Booker said. “As a lesbian in a queer family, I feel these threats daily. While fear is real, so is our strength. My journey has made me passionate about helping others do the same. We deserve to exist, to thrive, and to fight for a world where we can all be free.”

Booker hopes that many people attend this community event and learn how to infuse hope into their lives. “Hope is not passive—it’s an action, a choice we make every day,” Booker said. “I want people to walk away feeling less alone and more connected, both to themselves and to others.”